Ayshah bint Abu Bakr

Ayshah bint Abu Bakr (Part 1)

Ayshah (ra) was born in 614 CE. Her mother was Umm Roman and her father was Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (ra).

She said that there were nine blessings of Allah SWT which distinguished her from all other women in the world except Maryam bint 'Imran, the mother of 'Issa AS.

1) The Angel Jibril had presented her portrait wrapped in green silk to Muhammad and told him that this was the picture of the lady chosen by Allah, to be his consort both in this world and the next.

2) She was the only virgin to have become the wife of the Prophet .

3) When the Prophet passed away, he was resting in her lap and was buried in her apartment.

4) Many times angels encircled her apartment with love and respect.

5) Very often divine revelation would come to Muhammad when they were lying together resting in peace and tranquility.

6) She was the daughter of a true friend of the Prophet , Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (ra).

7) Ayat had descended from the heavens from Allah SWT proving her innocence.

8 ) She was born a Muslim and had been brought up in a pure environment, and spent her formative years with the best of creatures - the Prophet .

9) Allah SWT the Lord, the Sustainer of the Universe promised her Divine Forgiveness and abundant bounties.




As a girl she used to play with dolls, Once Muhammad visited her father, he saw her playing with a winged horse; she was barely five years old at the time. When he inquired she said it's a horse. He smiled and answered that horses didn't have wings! She promptly retorted that the Prophet Sulaiman AS had winged horses, which showed even at this tender age she was intelligent on religious and historical matters. At the age of 8 years, she experienced an historic move, when the first Islamic state was on rise, she was able to recall all the minor details. Next year she joined the household of the Prophet .

In the month of Sha'ban, Ayshah (ra) accompanied Muhammad who led the Muslim army towards Qadid, where a minor battle started with tribe of Banu Mustalaq. Several hypocrites were also part of the army during this particular battle. She borrowed a necklace from her sister Asma'. On the way back the army camped in the desert, and Ayshah went far into desert to relieve herself. She realized that the necklace dropped along the way. She found it after a long search. When she reached the site, the caravan had left, the normal procedure was that the ladies, who were segregated from the men, would get into their litter and draw the curtains. Then the camel drivers would place the litter on the camel's back. Since 'Ayshah (ra) was very light no one realized her absence. She lay down, waiting for her companions to return.

Safwan bin Mu'attil had the responsibility of checking the camp site for things which might have been left behind, at daybreak he arrived to find someone lying down in a Jilbab. When 'Ayshah (ra) heard him she woke up, and got on to the camel. He then walked leading the camel by the bridle.

At noon when the caravan had just reached the next camp site to rest, they saw 'Ayshah arriving with Safwan. Madinah was flooded by loose talk that 'Ayshah (ra)was a loose woman and her character was suspect, led by 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. Hasan bin Thabit, Hamnah bint Jahash, and Mastah bin Athathah who joined the hypocrites. The Prophet was extremely disturbed when he heard this talk, but 'Ayshah (ra)was blissfully ignorant of all this.

One night when she went out with the mother of Mastah bin Athathah. The lady tripped and started cursing her son. 'Ayshah (ra) said that he was a Companion of the Prophet who fought in the Battle of Badr and deserved respect. The old lady retorted that 'Ayshah (ra) was ignorant of the fact that he was involved in an awful plot; she revealed what had been taking place behind her back. On returning home, she took the permission of Muhammad , and went to visit her parents. She was heartbroken, her sympathetic and loving parents advised her to be patient and everything would be cleared up. After two days and nights of continuous weeping she fell ill.

On the third morning, the Prophet came to see her. He told her very gently that if she erred she should ask Allah SWT for His forgiveness. She said to her husband that if she denied she was guilty, nobody would believe her; but she was innocent and only Allah SWT knew it. The best answer to these accusations was to quote the answer of the father of Yusuf,

At precisely this moment, the Ayat announcing her innocence were revealed. When the revelation ended he then turned to 'Ayshah (ra) with a smile and started reciting the Ayat,


Her parents felt pride that their daughter had been honored with a Quranic revelation, and relief that she was acquitted of any wrongdoing. They asked their daughter to rise and thank her husband , 'Ayshah (ra) promptly replied that she was grateful to her Allah SWT for He had revealed Quranic Ayat in her honor. This episode is known in Islamic History as the Event of Al-Ifk.

After this incident the Prophet's respect for 'Ayshah (ra) increased even more. 'Amr bin 'Aas once asked Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who he loved most in this world, and he replied that he loved 'Ayshah (ra) more than anyone else. Then he asked him about the men folk. And the Prophet answered that he loved Ayshah's father the most. On one occasion 'Umar told his daughter Hafsah not to try and compete with 'Ayshah as Muhammad valued her very highly.

Part 3

Once they camped at a place in the desert and again 'Ayshah's RA necklace fell off. Some of the companions were sent to find it. When the call for morning prayers was given, there was no water for ablution. The Companions were worried about the morning prayers, and held Ayshah responsible. Her father rebuked his daughter for creating a situation, which might lead to the prayers being missed. Exactly at this moment this Ayat was revealed to the Prophet ,

"And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your face and hands. Truly, Allah is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving." [Noble Quran 4:43]

The people expressed their thanks for such a great favor Allah SWT granted because of her. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq had not realized until that moment how pleased Allah was with her.

By the ninth year after Hijrah, Islam had spread over most of Arabia. Madinah became a flourishing state. Some wives of the Prophet requested a increase in allowances. This disturbed the Prophet and he declared that for one month he would separate himself from his wives, and he went into seclusion.

After 29 days he came to 'Ayshah's RA apartment, and told her to make a choice after consulting her parents; choose him and a life of hardship, or leave him and lead a life of ease. 'Ayshah RA had no doubt in her mind; she immediately answered that she and her parents would sacrifice their lives for him if need arose, there was no need to consult her parents and she would prefer life with him to the world and its attractions. A beautiful smile lit his face. And then Allah revealed the following,

"O Prophet Say to your wives: 'If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, them come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). But if you desire Allah And His Messenger, and the Home of the hereafter, then verily, Allah has prepared for the good-doers among you an enormous reward." [Noble Quran 33:28-29]

All the wives took the same decision as 'Ayshah.

In two recorded incidents Ayshah saw Jibril personally:

1) 'Ayshah saw the Prophet talking to a rider of a horse. When she inquired about the stranger, he was surprised that she saw him and told her it was the Angel Jibril as human and sent greetings to you. She prayed that Allah give reward to the honored guest and to noble host.

2) Anas narrates: Once Prophet was praying in 'Ayshah's apartment, she saw someone standing outside the door. When he finished his prayers she informed him. It was angel Jibril. Muhammad invited him inside but he replied that they don't enter where there were dogs or pictures. When Prophet looked around he saw a puppy in a corner of the room; when he was chased out then the angel entered.

'Ayshah attained a lofty status because of her knowledge. Everyone consulted her on the finer points of religion. Many Hadiths originated from her; 2210 in number. She was among the top seven companions who narrated thousands of Hadiths.

Imam Dthahabi wrote that she was a theologian of the highest order. Her apartment was the centre where Ayat were revealed by the divine Mercy of Allah. Thus she was given the title of 'Horizon of the Ladies of Islam'.

During the time of Khulafa-u-Rashidin, her Fatwas were accepted. Once someone asked Masruq if 'Ayshah RA had mastery over Shari'ah laws regarding inheritance. He swore that he had seen Companions asking her questions about the finer points of the laws of inheritance. 'Urwah bin Zubayr, her sister Asma's son often visited her to discuss religious issues with her. Other Companions envied him as he could freely approach her at any time.

Once the Prophet and 'Ayshah RA were not feeling well. The Prophet said that if she died before him he would bathe her and shroud her and lower her into her grave and pray for her. She light heartedly replied that it seemed as if he would celebrate her death; and she told him that in case she died before him, he should bring a new wife into her apartment. The Prophet smiled at this.

Her brother, 'Abdur-Rahman came in during his last moments with a Siwak in his hand; the Prophet looked longingly at it. 'Ayshah understood and asked him if she could offer one to him. When he nodded, she took it and softened it with her teeth and offered it to him. He cleaned his teeth; and dipping his hand frequently in water, he kept wiping his face again and again, repeating the words,

"There is none worthy of worship but Allah. Verily, death has pains." Then he pointed upward with his hand and said, "Toward the best friend"

Ayshah RA once had a dream that three moons descended into her apartment. When the Prophet passed away he was buried in her apartment. Her father told her that part of her dream came true that day - the first moon irradiated her apartment. Later, her father and then Umar Al-Khattab RA was buried next to the Prophet which fulfilled the prophesy of her dream.

Imam Dthahabi quoted a saying of the Prophet that a Prophet's soul leaves its body in the place that it likes the best. Thus it is proven he died in his favorite place, the apartment of 'Ayshah RA.

She left this earthly existence for Paradise in the year 58 Hijrah on the 17th of Ramadhan at the age of 66. She was buried in Jannatul Baqi'. with Abu Hurairah leading the funeral prayers.


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